Senior Year Troublemaker
by Starsgard
Summary: FemPercy High school AU: After being expelled from all the schools in the tri-state area, Persis Jackson is sent to Goode Academy. Where all her former bullies are. With all the drama and her father wanting to get to know her, Persi is definitely way in over her head! I do not own cover image.
1. Chapter 1

**New story…hope ya enjoy. Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson. **

_Chapter One: Middle School Sucks_

Imagine me, a thirteen year old girl with braces, slightly chubby, with long black hair and green eyes. I also have I bit (a lot) of acne on my face. Now let me ask you, what on Earth is wrong with that? Sure, I might not be a supermodel but please refrain from making my life miserable. It's called common curtesy.

My middle school years were something I would like to leave behind. The teachers tried to pretend like they cared, but when you are dealing with an ADHD dyslexic who can't make it above a C average, then you know there is nothing you can do to help. Well my mom said otherwise, but she was blinded by parental love.

My mom's name is Sally Jackson and she is the kindest person in the world. And no, I am not joking. She cooks the best food, always knows what to say, and never lets me give up on myself. Unfortunately my mom was one of the unluckiest people in the world. Her parents died in a plane crash when she was five, leaving her with an uncle who didn't care about her. She couldn't finish high school because he got cancer and my mom had to take care of him. She always wanted to be a writer but was stuck working at a candy store.

When she met my dad, she told me it was love at first sight. They had me, he dumped her, moral of the story: don't fall in love.

I guess my life was pretty good until my mom married Gabe. His full name was Gabe Ugliano but I preferred to call him Smelly Gabe. You would get what I mean if you ever met him. Looking like a tskless walrus I always wondered what my mom saw in him. He sometimes hit me but I preferred to hide it from my mom, she had enough to worry about back then. When I was twelve I discovered that he was hitting my mom. We called the police and he went to jail. I never saw him again.

I never had many friends at a time. My attitude didn't help. I have to say my first real friend was Grover Underwood. After I helped him fend of Nancy Bobofit's attempts to kill him with peanut butter in sixth grade, we became fast friends. He then introduced me to his friends and it was like I finally managed to find people who accepted me. Their names were Annabeth Chase, Thalia Grace, and Luke Castellan.

Then eighth grade started. The year of betrayals, backstabbers, and finding my true self. Let me tell, you the process was not pretty. It all started when Luke joined a gang. He used to be a fun-loving guy who was only mildly interested in sports and was not afraid to ditch the "cool kids" to hang out with us. After he joined, he turned bitter and rude. I didn't know him as long as the rest of my friends did so the complete turnaround didn't affect me as badly.

He left and for some reason he took out all his anger on me. Shoving me in the hallways, calling me names, I could handle that. The problem was when Thalia and Annabeth didn't believe me when I told them that it was Luke who gave me the nasty cut above my eye or the bruise on my arm. Annabeth accused me of trying to steal Luke from her and Thalia was just plain mad. Fortunately, Grover still hanged out with me.

Annabeth and Thalia moved up the popularity ladder, ditching me and Grover. It hurt. It really did. Some nights I stayed up all night crying because I didn't know what I did wrong. Trying to diet would work, the acne cream didn't work, and studying just gave me a headache. I learned not to care.

Halfway through the year I caught Luke and his gang of morons shoving Grover up against a locker. My vision turned red at the moment. I tried to defend him but one of the goonies held me back. Grover wasn't at school for the next week. Later, Luke told the entire school that Gabe abused me. My well-kept secret was out in the open. The week after that was like being in Tartarus. My mom cried every night and the counselors acted like I should be thrown into a mental institution.

I was angry. You can mess with me all you want because chances are I will let you. Messing with one of my friends and family on the other hand will get you sent to the hospital. He betrayed my trust and that is sacred to me. I never went around school telling how his mom is in a mental hospital. I decided to take action. My school life was miserable with the rich kids teasing me and Luke and his wannabe pack harassing me so I decided to get expelled. Go out with a bang as all that jazz.

I found my true calling, becoming a teenage troublemaker/reject.

The day before Grover came back, I took my tray of disgusting cafeteria food and instead of heading towards my lonely table by the trash bins, I walked up to where Luke was sitting and dumped all of my food on his head. The food fight was epic.

If I had stopped there I probably would have gotten away with only a suspension. Whacking my tray against his head and giving him a concussion gave me an expulsion. It was the best feeling in my life, even when Ethan Nakamura punched me in the face.

After that you could say it became a habit. Going to a new school, befriend the so called losers, beat up the popular kids, get expelled, repeat. I was an amazing person that way.

Three years later I woke up on Saturday to the smell of pancakes. I got up out of bed immediately and ran out to the kitchen.

"Hey, honey. How did you sleep?" my mom asked.

"Fine," I said around a mouthful of pancakes. Not only were they blue, but full of fluffy goodness and maple syrup.

Paul was at the table to. He and my mom got married when I was fifteen. He is a good guy and pretty much doesn't mind when I get suspended. I guess he got used to it.

My mom sat down across the table in front of me. "I have some news Sweetie. The public high school down the road won't accept you again this year. So Paul and I decided to send you to the school where he works. They will accept you on a swimming scholarship since you did so well last year. With Paul's teacher discount we can afford the payment."

I almost choked on my orange juice. Paul works at Goode Academy. It is a private school that offers the best education. The problem was that is where all my middle school buddies are now. I know Luke is gone since he was arrested for drugs last year but…

"MOM! This is my senior year, the best year of high school. I don't want to go to Goode. All the kids who went to my old middle school will be there!"

My mom gave me a look, "It has been almost four years. You have been expelled to all the other schools in the area and with my new job I can't commute that far."

My mom finished her college classes and in now writing a book. She also works as a secretary at some office building at Olympus Corporation.

I groaned, "Mom, why can't I take online classes or something?"

"Because those classes do not give a full classroom experience," responded Paul. "Besides, we can go to school together."

"What fun," I muttered. Louder I said, "I'm going to the skate park, okay?" When it was just me and my skateboard, I forgot about all my problems. College didn't exist, there were no bullies, and my no good bummer of a father didn't exist.

My mom saw my expression and sighed. "Alright but be careful."

My father is one of the top business men in the world. He is filthy rich and has a huge cruise line dedicated to his wife. He didn't even send a child support check. If I ever met him I would probably punch him in the face. Once for leaving me and another one for leaving my mom.

Weaving in-between people on the busy sidewalk was a good way to make enemies that morning. All the late morning commuters who didn't have the pleasure of Summer Break were trying to head for the subway while I was going in the opposite direction.

Once I got there instead of busting some awesome moves like I normally would, I sat down to think. I know, shocking right?

I haven't heard form my old buddies in years. I sometimes saw Grover but that was when we saw each other randomly in the street. I guess I could contact him. Then I would have someone to sit with during the last year of High school. That brought up another concern. College.

I wanted to go to NYU on a swimming scholarship. I was pretty good. The one good thing I inherited from my sperm donor. Being in the water was as natural as breathing, sometimes I even felt that I could breathe underwater. I broke my last high school's record for the girl's swim team last year on everything that is why they probably kept me for so long.

I smirked remembering the face of the head cheerleader Isabella when I "accidently" tripped and spilled tomato sauce form the schools spaghetti all over her cute little outfit. My outfits consisted of a T-shirt and ripped up jeans or shorts. I cut my hair last year so I pretty much fit in with the skater girl stereotype. I even died the tips of my hair blue and green for crying out loud!

After wallowing in my misery for a few more minutes, I did a 360 over the ramp and then tried to jump over it. The jump was sloppy but I cleared it and didn't fall in the process. I've gotten some pretty cool scars over the years because of them.

That night dinner was silent. School would start in two days. I would have to get my schedule at the front desk and I missed orientation. Oh well.

"Are you excited honey?" asked Mom.

I picked at my lasagna, which was one of my favorite foods for the record. "Not really."

"Its okay to be nervous but I think this is a great opportunity for you Persi. The courses are College Prep and I hear the swim team is amazing. You will finally be challenged! The teachers will help you overcome your dyslexia."

Paul nodded at my mother's words. "I can help you in English as well. Many of our students also have ADHD and Dyslexia so I have audio books of all the material we will cover."

I rolled my eyes. "I have to go anyway. The law says I have to go to school."

Mom frowned at my tone. "Persi darling, I'm sorry that you will have to see your old classmates but they have most likely matured. You are seventeen now and almost an adult. You have matured as well."

"Good night, I'll see you guts tomorrow." I stood up and left, giving my Mom a kiss on the cheek.

That night I had a nightmare about me walking down the hallway going to English, with everyone form my middle school including Grover jeering at me. When I entered into the classroom instead of seeing Paul behind the teacher's desk I saw Smelly Gabe.

**So…how was it? Let me know if I should continue or not. ~Star**

**PS: I didn't mean to make Annabeth and Thalia mean…it's just that middle school affected them in a bad way. Don't worry, they will mature. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all the follows and faves! I also want to thank all the reviewers love ya to bits!**

_Chapter Two: The First Day of my Nightmare_

_BEEP BEEP BE—_I slammed my hand on the snooze button and groaned. I was cocooned in a blanket of warmth and I didn't want to leave. I blearily open up one eye and looked at my calendar. In red sharpie were the words 'First Day of Hell.' Great, my nightmare was going to begin. Rolling out of my bed must have been the hardest thing I have ever done.

I trudged my way to the bathroom and got ready. As I was washing my face I considered putting on make-up. My mom had gotten me a whole set last year for my birthday. I never even took it out of the package. I shook my head and went back to my room to decide what to wear. I had to look good and show it to those s—

Wait, what? Let me tell you something, Persi Jackson does not give two cents as to what other people think, unless it is my mom or close friends. And as of now I didn't have any close friends. Looking good for something was not my thing. I picked out randomly, not letting the insecure thoughts crowd my mind.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I was proud of who I was, even if I was dressed in old ripped up jeans and a regular T-shirt. Even if my flaws were easy to see, I was not going to let some prissy rich kid dictate who I am. This girl was ready to kick some serious _podex_.

Brushing my hair as I walked into the kitchen, I stopped in my tracks. That smell…the heavenly smell of BLUEBERRY WAFFLES! My mouth began to water as I approached my mom.

"Good morning, would like some waffles sweetie?" she asked, the corners of her mouth turning up because she knew I was about to turn into a puddle of drool.

"Morning mom, can I have three waffles please?" I gave her my best baby seal impression. She laughed at my antics and gave me a plate with four pieces of Elysium-on-a-plate.

Paul was chuckling at my expense, "Careful Sally, or Persi might just eat the entire batch."

I scowled at him as I shoveled the food into my mouth. That shut him up immediately.

After finishing my food and brushing my teeth, I shouldered my backpack full of my new school supplies. My mom gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and shoved me out the door before I could start begging to be home-schooled. "Have a good day and make good friends!"

I sighed. When did I not make new friends? The problem would be not making any new enemies

~1~ ~2~ ~3~ ~

The car ride passed in silence. Paul probably didn't want to upset me. I inwardly smirked at that, we all knew who was responsible for the happy marriage. Me. If Paul didn't ask me first before asking my mom, he wouldn't have lasted a week. Trust me on that one.

As we got closer to Goode, I realized my palms were sweaty. My stomach also felt weird. My eyes widened as I realized I was nervous. Don't get me wrong, I have been nervous before…but never for the first day at school. After all, I have been the new kid many time before.

We arrived and I got my first good look at my new school. The front entrance was made out of brick and it have off a homey kind of vibe. Paul parked in the teacher's parking space.

"At the end of the day, meet me at my classroom. The main office is on your right. You can't miss it." Then Paul rushed out of the car. I shrugged, he did have his quirks after all.

I entered the office. The secretary was a pretty lady who looked actually excited to be there. "Hello my name is Persi Jackson, I came here to get my schedule." Her name tag read 'Mellie Cloud.'

She typed in my name on the computer and handed me a slip of paper. "Welcome to Goode! My name is Ms. Cloud and if you have any questions you can just come here."

I forced a smile. "Thanks." I looked at my schedule and finally made out the words:

_Student: Persis Jackson ID: 36742_

_Locker #:342 Combination: 2-16-16_

_1__st__: Calculus; Alecto Dodds; Room 666_

_2__nd__: English; Paul Blofis; Room 520_

_3__rd__: Latin; Howard Claymore; Room 529_

_4__th__: Ancient History; Dr. Manny Thorn; Room 602_

_~Lunch~_

_5__th__: Study Hall; Bob Ipateus; Room 648_

_6__th__: Physics; Quintus Daedalus; Room 530_

_7__th__: Advanced Gym; Gleeson Hedge; Room 107_

_*Student will have Swim Meets every Tue. And Thurs. in the indoor pool Room: 899_

_**Counselor: Chiron Brunner_

Great, my first period is math in room 666. Could my luck get any worse? I walked into the hallways trying to find my locker. Luckily it was across from the main office. As I was shoving my notebooks and things into my locker, I heard a nervous laugh. It sounded very familiar…

I turned and my jaw almost hit the ground. A few lockers down was Grover Underwood. He looked the same except a couple inches taller and with no acne and a goatee. I was about to start yelling and waving like a maniac when I noticed that a guy was leering at him threateningly. He was blond and I thought he looked like a scarecrow but maybe his dad was super rich or something. Well, that never stopped me before.

I walked up to them and gave scarecrow kid a level five death glare. I learned that going all out was likely to cause terror in most people and then I would have no friends because then everyone would be too scared to approach me. It happened when I was in my sophomore year.

"What is your problem, twig? If you want to mess with someone then why don't you mess with me," I got right up into his face and sneered. "Do you know what I think about bullies? I think they are pathetic losers. Now go away."

His face showed pure shock. He stuttered for a few moments before composing himself. "Do you know who you are talking to?"

"Yeah, a scrawny insignificant twit. Do you not understand English? Go. Away." I slowed my word as if I was talking to a younger kid.

He stalked off, muttering obscenities under his breath. I turned to Grover, "Are you alright?"

He looked at me like I was an alien, "Thank you, but you didn't have to do that. You don't even know me!"

"Of course you know me, I'm your best friend G-man!" I said in mock hurt.

His face was white, "Persi?"

I smiled and spread my arms wide, "The one and only."

He tackled me into a hug. "Wow! I can't believe you are here."

I laughed, "You are not the only one. I just found out two days ago. How has life been treating you?"

He shrugged. "It was pretty good for me after you left. Luke was caught doing drugs and that also made my life easier," he blushed, "I also got a girlfriend."

"Good for you! Can I meet her?" I asked. I had to give the girl the if-you-break-up-with-my-best-friend-I-will-kill-you speech.

Grover nodded, "Yeah, juniors and seniors have the same lunch."

I wolf-whistled. "Ooh, I didn't know she was a junior Grover."

He blushed and shoved me in the shoulder. "What classes do you have?" It turned out we had Calculus and History together.

"Great! Now you can show me where room 666 is. Is it just a coincidence or is Mrs. Dodds devil spawn?"

Grover shuddered. "No, she is a monster."

I groaned. "Well there goes my happy morning, at least you can share my suffering," I said, putting my hand over my heart dramatically.

Grover nodded sagely, "Misery loves company." We laughed at our weirdness and walked into Tartar—I mean Calculus.

~!~ ~#~ ~$~ ~

"Grover, I think my mind just exploded. Call an ambulance!" I said as we walked out of Mrs. Dodds' room. It was just the first period and I already felt that my mind was at its learning limit.

Grover looked at me in false concern, "I'm a doctor ma'am and I'm afraid there is not cure for you. You have been diagnosed with senioritis."

"Will I die, Doctor Underwood? Is there a cure?" I grabbed his arm and pretended to stumble around.

He shrugged, "You have to graduate. Only time will tell if you will make it."

"Persi, is that you?" exclaimed a voice behind me. I turned and saw Thalia Grace. She hadn't changed much. She still had a pixie cut and her black T-shirt. The only difference was that she was wearing a silver jacket.

"I thought you didn't like the Hunters." The Hunters is a girls group that empowers young women. The only requirements are that you have to not date until you graduate college and you have to remain virgin. In eight grade Thalia never like the girls who did that. Sure, some were snobby but most were really nice.

Thalia shrugged, "I changed my mind after the whole Luke thing." She looked uncomfortable.

"Okay, good seeing you." I made my way to leave when she grabbed my arm.

"We haven't seen you in years and I want to say sorry for the way we acted back in middle school."

"Who is we?" I asked.

"Annabeth and I. We tried to go back to your apartment after the Luke was caught doing drugs to apologize but you moved."

I processed this information. Well, that was certainly news.

"You can come and sit with us at lunch, we can get to know each other again."

"Sorry Pinecone face, but I already have lunch plans. See you around." This time, she didn't try to hold me back.

~!~ ~#~ ~$~

Thankfully by the time lunch rolled around no one recognized me. I thought I saw Clarisse and maybe one of the Stoll brothers, but I kept my head down. This was no time to be social. It was survival of the fittest.

Dr. Thorn was a riot. He hated every kid in the class and spoke in a French accent. He was just begging to be made fun of. Mr. Claymore was boring and I was pretty sure I was going to use that class to catch up on my sleep. Paul, or Mr. Blofis, just ignored me, which I was thankful for. All in all I was having an okay day.

I walked with Grover to the state of the art cafeteria. My mom packed me my lunch so I didn't have to go through the whole, okay no I'm just walking with my tray awkwardly routine.

We sat at a table with a couple other kids. The Gardner sisters were pretty nice, Katie was very serious while Miranda was more laid back. Katie was a senior and Miranda was a junior who had some classes with Grover's girlfriend Juniper. She was actually very sweet so I skipped the speech and just told her that she was a lucky girl. A guy named Pollux also sat with us. He didn't talk much and Grover told me that his twin brother had died last year in a car accident along with his mother.

Overall they were a great group of people. I gave them an A+ for accepting me just like that.

"See those kids over there," said Katie pointing over to where a large group of kids sat. "Those are the Elites. They run the school. They are nice but don't talk to anyone outside of their crowd. Their parents are extremely rich to boot."

Miranda nodded, "The kids by the cafeteria line are bad news. They were the kids from Roman Middle who still think they are popular."

I recognized Scarecrow Kid from earlier.

"The table over there is where the artsy kids hang out," continued Miranda. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare is the Queen. Even if she wasn't rich she is still the best artist."

I raised an eyebrow. "I am surrounded by the children of famous people."

Grover chuckled, "Yeah, but most are just normal kids."

My gaze was drawn to the where Scarecrow Kid and his gang were sitting. A girl with black hair was getting out of line and they were harassing her, throwing food and trash at her. I narrowed my eyes. This was going to have to stop.

I got up and walked to the table. A few of the guys wolf whistled but I ignored them. "If you throw one more piece of garbage at the girl I will deck you, suspension or not."

One of the guts leered at me, "What gives you the right to tell us what to do?"

I gave him a full on death glare, "My right as your superior, you piece of filth." I smirked when they all flinched. Man I was being creative with these insults today.

The girl gave me a thankful look and scurried away. Mission accomplished.

The Scarecrow Kid stood up, "You're the girl form this morning. This is the second time that you have done something like this."

"How many brain cells did it take for you to figure that out?" I asked. Our argument had drawn the attention of the entire cafeteria. "Now, we can do this the easy way or hard way. The easy way is that you grow a conscience and stop harassing people or you try to beat me up and I destroy your reputation.

He glared, "I am Octavian Augur. Does my name have any meaning to you at all?"

I shrugged, "No."

He sat down and smirked. "Watch your back girl."

I rolled my eyes. Honestly, I have been in these types of situations hundreds of times. When would they het that they did not scare me anymore

**The first day is not even over yet. Fave, follow and review! I will update my other story tomorrow if you are interested.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for keeping you all waiting… school is horrible as I'm sure you all know. **

_Chapter Three: I discover popular people have souls…sort of. _

As I walked back to the table, I could feel everyone's eyes on me. It was weird being the center of attention. And on the first day no less. At this rate I would be expelled by the end of the month. That thought saddened me for once. Normally I could not wait to get out of a school, and this one had people who brought back bad memories… but Grover was here and his gang of eco freaks were very nice. It was time to grow up. We were all bad in middle school and I am a different person now a well. A testament that people can change.

When I finally sat down, Grover tried to get the conversation going by talking about some 'Save the Wild' convention. It most likely would have worked but the others were still trying to peel their mouths off the table.

"Y-you stood up to Octavian!" Katie squeaked out. "No one has _ever _done that. Not even the Elites!"

I snorted. "They must be the pretty face type then. The ones who are too busy preening over their good looks and money to notice anything besides booze."

Miranda shook her head. "It's not like that. They are normally nice and they will defend the people who get bullied…the problem is that they all made a pact to ignore each other at lunch. The last time they got into a fight it was like a gang version of World War III."

"So they are both gangs?" I had past experience with gangs. They either wanted to recruit me or kill me. Most wanted to kill me.

Miranda winced at her choice of word. "No, no, no. They are not gangs. Both their parents are well known. Appearances have to be kept up so the press doesn't know. They had a field day when they heard there was a food fight."

I looked off into the distance. Food fights were so much fun. Two schools ago there was this kid who always got on my nerves, so one day I gave up trying to control my anger and threw a glob of vegetable mush at him. In the end I was covered in food but the result was worth it.

I was snapped out of my daydreaming when I realized that there was a group of people standing in front of our lunch table. There were four of them. A tall buff guy was the one directly in front of me. He has blonde hair and familiar electrical blue eyes. He was no doubt handsome but all in all he was not my type.

The one next to him was his girlfriend, judging by the way her arm was wrapped around his. She was undeniably beautiful, even though her hair looked like it was cut by a five year old. I guess I missed the memo about the new fashion trend.

There was another guy behind them. He looked Hispanic and was tinkering with something in his hands. He was the type of person I would most likely befriend if I was in any other school but this one.

The other girl I knew. Who could forget their ex best-friend/backstabber. She looked as beautiful as always, with her perfectly curled blonde hair and her startling gray eyes. I mean, who was I in comparison to the great Annabeth Chase. Her intelligence could rival a grown man's and she was stunning to boot.

I gave her a smile, most likely looking deranged as I was sure it looked forced. "So…what brings the Elites to this humble table?"

_A few minutes earlier with Annabeth_

I smacked Leo's hand away from my cookies. We were all sitting at our usual table and having a great time as normal. My life had taken a sour turn and if it wasn't for these guys I would be colder than Reyna on a bad day. After middle school and the Luke fiasco, Grover completely left me. Thalia then left to join the Hunters and the other people who I thought were my friends either found new crowds or just ignored me. It was my fault though, I let the popularity get into my head and I paid the price.

Piper was laughing at a joke Jason had told her. They were such a cute couple, and sometimes they were annoyingly sappy but it was our senior year. Calypso, Leo's girlfriend, was absent for the first day. That meant a pouting Leo. Reyna was also not there as she was on a hiking trip with her sister Hylla. Nico was never around and preferred to use lunch time to be at the gym.

Piper looked across the cafeteria. "Hey look, some new girl is going up to Octavian."

Leo whistled, "She is either desperate or insane."

Jason rolled his eyes, "I think she is threatening him, not flirting Leo."

Leo turned around so fast that he almost fell of the chair. "This I have to see!"

The girl looked familiar, although she radiated a powerful aura that said, 'I am not afraid of you.' From the way she held herself I could tell she was angry.

It was funny watching Octavian's face heat up as the conversation continued. The girl stomped off and sat down at the table where Grover was sitting.

"We should go shake her hand or something," said Leo. "I have found a new hero!"

Piper laughed. "Yeah, normally the new kids don't do that type of stuff. Especially the kids who are on scholarship."

"How do you know that?" asked Jason.

Piper shrugged, "We would have known and besides, my mom would have told me." Piper's mom is Aphrodite Venus Mclean, renowned model. She owns several fashion lines, a makeup chain, and a few magazines.

"Well let's go say hi!" exclaimed Leo.

We all stood up and went to the table. I was slightly nervous about seeing Grover and talking to him but the past is now in the past and I had put of rekindling my friendship with him for far too long.

My phone pinged. _32 new messages from Thalia._

My eyes widened. What was so important? I was about to start scanning the messages but Piper shook my arm. "You can check your phone later, right now we should go see Leo's new role model."

The group of kids at the table looked surprised to see us. The new girl looked lost in her thoughts. Slowly she turned and looked at us. Our eyes locked and I almost stepped back. I knew those eyes anywhere. She gave a forced smile at us, "So…what brings the Elites to this humble table?"

Her voice was as sarcastic as I remembered. She looked much better than she had in middle school, no wonder I didn't recognized her.

Leo's smiled faltered a little bit. "We came to say hi. My name is Leo and these are my friends, Piper, Jason, and Annabeth. We saw you talking with Octavian…" his voice trailed off and Persi must have been feeling some pity because she smiled.

"The little twerp had it coming," she replied.

"Hey, Persi." My voice was soft, "How has it been?"

She gave me a look. "It's been pretty good. I kept getting kicked out of schools until I finally landed in this one."

She observed Jason for a moment, "Are you related to Thalia Grace by any chance? You have the same eyes and it is really creepy."

He nodded, "Yeah. Our parents just got back together."

"Well, glad to meet you all." Her tone left it clear that she was dismissing us. Piper gave her a smile. "Do you mind if we sit down? We don't normally get too many new kids."

Grover quickly gestured to the empty chairs, trying to deflate the tension, "Its fine, you can sit here if you want!"

Persi looked like she just swallowed a lemon. "So…how do you and Annabeth know each other?" asked Jason.

"We were friends in Middle. We lost touch after I moved." I was glad that she didn't mention the way I treated her.

An awkward silence settled over the table. Leo fidgeted slightly, his ADHD making it hard for him to stay still.

Persi hooked her hands behind her head and leaned back, quietly observing us all. I took that time to check my phone.

_From Thalia: Did you not read my messages?! PERSI JACKSON IS HERE. ANSWER ME!_

The rest of lunch passed in silence, with Persi staring at us impassively.

_With Persi _

I groaned as I laid back on the couch. The first day was exhausting. Annabeth has by study hall so I spent all period trying to avoid her. Then all of the seniors have gym together. This meant I was hiding out in the restroom until the bell rang. Thankfully there was no homework, only a bunch of paperwork and class syllabus's to sign.

Relaxing with a bowl of Doritos by my side sounded like a good idea so that's what I did. I had just finished a level on my X-box when I heard the front door open and my mom came in.

"Hey honey, how was your first day?

I shrugged, "I saw Grover again and made a few friends in the Gardening Club. They are all very nice people."

"Good! How is dear Grover? Is he still the same?"

"Taller and more mature but otherwise…Oh he has a girlfriend named Juniper. Super sweet and cute. They are the perfect match for each other, it is so cute I want to barf."

"Just wait till you get into a relationship. So did you do anything in class?"

"We did nothing in all the classes. You have papers to sign and stuff though. I put them on the counter for you."

Mom laughed. "Don't worry sweetie, it will get busy really soon. I think Paul will have you reading Homer this year." She moved to the kitchen and started to shuffled her papers and organize the counter.

"I already know all the myths because you have been telling me them for years." Instead of Cinderella as a bed time story, my mom told me about the adventures of Theseus, Perseus, and Hercules. Atlanta and the golden apples, the Golden Age of the Titans, and the tales of Jason and the Argonauts as well as the Trojan War and the journey of Odysseus. She never did tell me why those stories were so important but I knew it had something to do with my father. His name was Poseidon after all.

"Well then I expect an 'A' then."

I mock gasped. "An 'A'! I didn't even realize I was capable of getting them anymore. In all seriousness though, I will be lucky if I get a swimming scholarship."

My mom gave me a stern look. "You underestimate yourself. You are a very bright young lady and have talent as well. Your swimming has been categorized as prodigious. Don't sell yourself short."

I sighed. My mom is the sweetest person on Earth, but she had too much confidence in me. So what I was a good swimmer, there are probably people ten times better than me who also had brains. I had the skillset but not the mindset. It would be a miracle if I survived senior year.

"Just do well this year and make a few friends. You are in one of the best schools in the world, universities all over the globe will be around to evaluate potential students. Remember that this is your time to shine, alright?"

"Yes mom." Nodding and pretending to agree seemed to be the best thing to do at the moment. If not the lecture will be never ending.

"Good. Now what would you like for dinner? I was thinking about macaroni and cheese but if there is something else preferable then…"

"As long as the sauce is blue then that's perfect."

Chuckling, she made her way to the kitchen to start cooking. "Don't eat any more chips so you don't spoil your appetite. And go get Paul for me, we wouldn't want him to miss diner now would we."

That would be a pity, considering my mom is the best cook in America.

**So sorry for the late update. They will be slower as school is getting tough and I have papers due. Thank you to all those who followed/favorite. Don't forget to review and let me know of your opinion. **


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four: A Swim Team of One and I gain Two Latin Buddies**_

Fortunately, the first week of school passed without incident. I had already developed a routine.

Wake up, get ready, ride with Paul to Goode, fool around in Calculus with Grover, pretend to be invisible and pray no one would recognize me in English, make a fool out of myself in Latin, hang out with Grover in History, Lunch, keep way from Annabeth in Study Hall, try not to scream in Physics, and take really long bathroom breaks in Gym as to avoid everyone, walk to the bus with Grover, eat whatever food Mom made, homework, shower, sleep, repeat.

I knew that the avoiding game would eventually come to an end, Grover would be absent one day or I would be forced to partner up with someone. Then my dream of staying a full year at Goode would be shattered. Into a billion of irreparable little pieces. Not even Harry Potter's _Reparo _or whatever spell he used would be able to fix it.

Whatever. I will deal with it when the time comes.

"Hey Grover, can you tell me the answer to number 22? Dodds will probably give me detention if this thing is not completed and you know Paul will find out. Then I will have to face my mom, and you know how that goes down."

I was waving the Calculus packet in front of his face as he was trying to get his books from his locker.

"Can't you just write a random answer? I'm pretty sure that packet is at the bottom of my backpack." I sighed and helped him shove the many textbooks into his rucksack.

"Dude, there is no need to get your sheet out. Just look at the problem!"

Grover sighed and rolled his eyes. "You owe me big time Persi. Give me a pencil."

I raised my fist into the air in victory. "You are my new best friend."

"I'm pretty sure I am your only best friend."

"…Shut up."

"Hey, don't you have your first swim meet today?"

Shrugging, I shouldered my bag and waited for him to finish writing down the answer. "Yeah. That was one of the scholarship agreements. I don't want my mom to have to take an extra job because of this school." I gave him a look, "You do know that you are the reason that I am trying to stay, right?"

Grover gave me a sad smile. "Yeah, I know. Although I should warn you, the swim team is a joke around here. Most of the team graduated last year and they never won a competition. It hasn't been the same since Triton."

I scowled at the mention of my half-brother. "Then I guess I will just have to carry the team on my shoulders then."

The five minute bell rung and we made our way to Dodds' demon lair. "Thanks G-man, I'll be sure to give you my apple at lunch."

"Really?!"

"No."

* * *

Normally I don't start falling asleep until after lunch, but hearing Dr. Claymore droning on and on about Latin conjugations and indefinite articles was starting to cause my eyes to shut. A few minutes later, I almost fell off the desk, startling me awake. Then I noticed everyone was getting into groups of three. What was going on? I knew I shouldn't have fallen asleep.

"Would you like to join our group?" asked a soft voice behind be.

I turned to look at my savoir. A girl with mocha skin and pretty golden eyes. My mind went blank before it rebooted and realized what she was asking.

"Sure! Yeah, that would be great…it's just that I almost fell asleep so could you tell me what the heck are we doing?"

She smiled. "We are getting into groups so we can research the ways Latin is useful. My name is Hazel and this here is Frank."

The kid behind her looked terrified, not that I knew why. He was a buff looking Asian, with plenty of muscle. No one would try to lay a hand on him unless they were suicidal.

"H-hi. So should we start now? Um…Dr. Claymore said we could use our phones if we want," said Frank.

I stared at him for a few second before he became uncomfortable. I decided to put the kid out his misery. "Look, if you guys don't want to work with me, its fine."

Frank blushed, "No! It's just that we heard that you were part of gang before and you have this scary aura around you—"

"Where did you hear that?" I asked, cutting him off before he could make a fool out of himself.

"Uh, Octavian," he mumbled.

"The scarecrow kid? Look, don't believe a word he says. He's had it out for me since day one. Although a few gangs have tried to recruit me," I said grinning.

Frank cracked a smile and Hazel looked relieved. "Sorry, we just heard it in passing and Octavian is pretty rich, and his dad lets him do whatever. You've picked up a dangerous enemy."

"I've dealt with worse. Now I kinda want an A on this so let's get started, and by that I mean I'll sit back while you do all the work."

I groaned as they just stared at me. "I was joking."

After that class I made two new friends. Hazel's dad was Hades di'Angelo, one of the Big Three in the business world. She was his illegitimate child but when her mom died he took custody of her. Frank on the other hand was here on a scholarship. Much like me, he hated his dad, Ares La Rue. Not that I blamed him, he was known as an A class jerk, cheater, and scoundrel who dabbled in the weapon's industry. I heard that he owned half of the corporate gyms and took steroids.

They weren't dating, which surprised me. They gave off the lovey dovey vibe and it was obvious Frank was crushing hard. Hazel would also blush whenever Frank would hold her hand. I was determined to see them together by the end of the month.

"We'll see you later Persi," said Hazel after the bell rang. It turned out we had Gym together.

I nodded and smiled. It felt good to be around genuinely nice people. I would have to introduce them to Grover.

_Gymnasium 7__th__ Period_

I got out of the locker room as fast as possible. Who knew that changing would be such a big deal for rich stuck-ups? The smell of perfume was sickening and I swear I almost threw up.

"Alright cupcakes! Now that all of you had turned in your forms we can start doing real work! Today we will be learning Greek and Roman sword-fighting techniques. Don't stab yourselves once I pass out the swords. Yes, they are real. If I have to send you to the nurse for you own stupidity I will make you run till you die when you come back. Now for those of you who already have one, come see me."

Coach Hedge was a short, bat wielding maniac who was somehow in charge of the future generation. I had no problem with him, he provided a great source of entertainment.

"Jackson! What are you doing standing there? Come and get your weapon! We haven't got all day."

Confused, I went up to where he was, holding a three foot long sword. It was beautiful and seemed to glow under the light of the gym. "I didn't know my parents got me one."

Coach Hedge rolled his eyes. "It's because of your dad cupcake. He would never let a child of his use one of the old used swords. Gods forbid that. Its name is Riptide, so use it well."

My blood froze. Poseidon had gotten this for me? That meant that the school was aware…he was aware. I could feel myself growing red in anger. It would do me no good if I lost my temper, so instead I decided to focus on how cool it was to have a sword. Hmm…Riptide was not a bad name. You could do a lot worse.

"Alright, now I want you to find a partner and try not to kill each other. I would recommend that you choose someone at your skill level. If I see halfhearted work, you all will be running laps until the bell rings, so get to it!"

Everyone seemed to know what they were doing, while I was left standing with a too-fancy sword alone in the middle of the floor. It was true that I knew the basic of knife fighting, the streets were full of wackos, and my mom enrolled me in classes since I was twelve, but the kids around me had turned from popular idiots to weapon wielding prodigies.

Swords were not the only weapons in use. I saw a couple daggers here and there, some had spears, bows and arrows seemed common. I even saw a few kids swinging heavy looking hammers.

I crazy gin made its way onto my face. I would have competition here, and I was in my element. These were not the pushovers from my old classes, everyone here was well trained and had been doing this for a long time. Now I need to see if I had all my previous skill.

I decided to disembowel a few training dummies before going head to head with an actual opponent. Wouldn't want to make a fool out of myself.

Straw flew everywhere as the dummy offered no response. It barely flinched as its head was neatly sliced off its body.

"So you do have some skill."

I turned to see the one and only Nico di'Angelo looking at me. I remember him from middle school. Soon after Luke joined a gang, he transferred to another school. If I recalled correctly, he was obsessed with myth-o-magic, a card game with Ancient Greek figures. Looking at him was like looking at a younger version of his father, undeniably handsome, but had a dangerous aura around him that reeked of death.

"What's it to you?" I bit back rudely. I was just getting into the zone. An inner peace within me that made the world disappear and instinct take over. The feeling of numbness that would wash over me was one of the best in the world.

He chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. "It's rare that a new student has previous knowledge."

I narrowed my eyes. This was not the Nico I once knew. "Look buddy, I'm flattered. No really, I am. But it would be nice if you would go practice somewhere else."

Nico frowned. "I would if you asked nicely."

"Will you leave before I give you a fist to the face?"

"What is your problem? Normally people react kindly to compliment." I tensed. Did he not remember me? The girl who cleaned up his wounds after being beaten in the boy's bathroom and who endured his ramblings of his precious card game? The girl who he left after his sister died of cancer. Who he pushed away and blamed for her death. The girl who let him beat her up after Bianca died.

I made my voice sickly sweet, anger overriding my better judgment. "Oh, I'm sorry. I should introduce myself. I'm Persi Jackson, pleased to meet you."

The effect was instant. His face practically turned to stone. "P-persi? What are you doing here?"

I shrugged, "The same reason why you are here. To get an education."

His face turned red and he looked down at the laminated floor of the gym. "Do you want to spar?" he mumbled.

I was tempted to say no but I realized it was Nico's way of apologizing. At least I hoped that's what is was, and not some ploy to beat me up again. "Alright."

He looked up and smirked, "I hope you know I'm not going easy on you just because you're a girl, Jackson."

"I'm not going easy on you just because you're stupid either di'Angelo, so let's call it even," I said rolling my eyes. I gripped my sword, enjoying the feeling of having a deadly extension of my arm. "Bring it."

A feeling of pure peace washed over me as we danced. The sound of metal on metal was the symphony and I was the composer. There was no way I was going to lose.

I was so into the zone that I didn't notice the foot coming right at my face until my body reacted before my brain did.

_The stench of alcohol surrounded me, "You little punk…" a voice growled."_

_WHAM_

"What the hell!" I shouted, clutching my now bloodied nose. Riptide laid forgotten on the ground. "This is sword-fighting, not hand-to-hand, idiot!" I would have said a lot worse but we now had a crowd around us.

"You never specified." All I wanted to do was wipe that smirk from his face.

"She was pretty good, but the Ghost King would never let anyone win…"

"You got that right. I'm pretty sure the only ones who can challenge him are Jason and Annabeth."

"Don't forget Reyna…"

Oh, so he was a big shot huh? Well he definitely did not remember me from middle school at all. No one pushes Persi Jackson over and get away from it. No one.

When his back was turned I struck out with my legs, sending him face first onto the floor. The crowd gasped.

He turned, eyed blazing in fury. "The match was over Persi, are you that much of a sore loser?"

"You never specified."

I could tell he was on the verge of exploding. Then a familiar looking girl with blonde hair stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Nico. Calm down, she's just trying to rile you up."

Well that's Annabeth for you, always the little peacekeeper. I scowled at both of them hating their guts at the moment. Yes, I know I had no good reason but it had been a long day and I was just so tired from everyone at Goode. Well except for Grover, Hazel, and Frank.

I abruptly stood up and left. I could hear the mutterings behind me, did they seriously not know how to whisper?

"_Where did she get that sword, do you have any idea how much they cost?"_

"_Drug money. I heard she was in a gang. Probably still is."_

"_Yeah, if she could topple Nico then I bet she has had past experience."_

I stifled the urge to glare in that direction. They had no idea what I'd been through. None. They had no right to judge me.

The cloud of anger surrounded me until I reached the indoor pool thirty minutes later.

_Indoor Swimming Pool _

I cautiously opened the double doors to the pool. The one good thing that came out of attending a wealthy school was that everything was new and in good quality. The pool was enormous, with a glass ceiling and a mosaic mural of a palace on one wall. The smell of chlorine was mixed with the scent of salt and…brownies?

"Welcome, you must be Persis!"

Two muscled men were standing under an archway. One had a huge afro and looked like he could bench press whales for a living while the other dude had a long beard and his hair was tied up in a bandana.

"You made it just in time for brownies! My name is Coach Aphros and this is my brother, Bythos. We are the swim coach for Goode."

I walked towards them and Aphros handed me a brownie, which tasted almost as good as my mom's. "Uh, hi. I go my Persi…am I late? Where is the rest of the team?"

Bythos gave me a weird look. "You are the team. I will be in charge of your weight training while Coach Aphros will be in charge of your technique. Now go get changed. I assume you have a once peace bathing suit, correct?"

My mind spun. Weight training? "Wait! What do you mean I am the team?"

"It means you are the only person on the Goode Swim Team. That automatically make you Captain, so you should be celebrating!"

"Oh. Wow, okay. Yeah, I already have my swim suit on…"

"Alright then! Get in the water and show us what you can do!" shouted Aphros.

I ditched my shirt and stepped out of my shorts. I quickly paced the cap over my head and grabbed my goggles. "What stroke do you want me to start with?"

"Freestyle for now. Just do a lap."

Oh, that was my best one. Well, it didn't matter for me. The water just seemed to bend around me.

I dove into that water, enjoying the coolness on my skin. In no time I was back where I started. I looked towards my coaches, expecting them to stand with their mouths gaping.

"Do it again."

And I did. I lost count after fifty.

"Do it again."

"Do it again."

"Do it again."

I was pretty sure I was at around a hundred.

"Change to backstroke now."

"Show me a breaststroke."

"Is that as fast as you can go?"

What the heck?! All my previous coaches were happy with my swimming. In fact, the praise got annoying sometimes. But still! I was starting to get tired and the smell of brownies was making me get hungrier and hungrier.

"Okay, that's enough for now."

You could not have gotten me out of that pool any faster.

Bythos stepped forward. "You technique is good, it seems that you just need to strengthen your muscles and increase your stamina. Aphros had to leave, he told me to give you your sweater. He made it himself. I hope the measurements are correct…"

He handed me a green and orange _knitted_ sweater with the words, 'Goode's Sea Serpents' on the front and on the back 'Captain.' It was a couple sizes too big. "We expect you to wear it every Tuesdays and Thursdays. Don't forget to come by the weight room on Mondays so we can work on enlarging you muscles! You are very scrawny for your age. Don't forget to eat three meals a day!"

Oh kill me now.

* * *

**Sorry for the kind of late update...**

**Anyway, review are welcome and encourage me to write faster! I am also deciding on pairings so let me know who you want me to pair with Persi. ~Star**


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